but president obama? he believes it's the cause of our problems. that the economic downturn happened because our government didn't tax enough, spend enough or control enough. and therefore as you heard tonight, his solution to virtually every problem we face is for washingt to tax more, borrow more and spend more. this idea that our problems were caused by a government that was too small is just not true. in fact the major cause of our recent downturn was a housing crisis created by reckless government policies, and the idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hard-working middle class tax payers, that's an old idea that's failed every time it's been tried. more government isn't going to help you get ahead. it's going to hold you back. more government isn't going to create more opportunities. it's going to limit them. and more government isn't going to inspire new ideas. new businesses and new private sector jobs. it's going to create uncertainty because more government breeds complicated rules and laws that small b